SOCHI, Russia – Here is the problem with our latest Curlmaggedon: This is an Olympic sport Americans really should own.

I understand why we’re not good at the biathlon, which requires years of intense training and a rare blend of stamina and precision. I understand why we’re not good at the ski jump, which is a potentially perilous sport in which participants risk life and limb just to compete.

But curling?

This sport is made for us, which is what makes the latest results in Sochi so infuriating. The U.S. women suffered a 9-2 defeat to Denmark yesterday, dropping to 1-5 for the tournament. And then the U.S. men … my goodness, where to even begin with the men?

They had a chance to win two matches in a day after beating Germany in the morning and facing Russia in the evening. Russia, in the estimation of its own coach, was "realistically the 10th-best team here" — out of 10 teams. The host nation was so desperate to improve, it tried to convince Canadians to give up their citizenship and become Russians to compete here.

So no, this was not some Red Army curling team. They stink. Still, there they were, in a 6-6 tie with the Americans as skipper John Shuster sent his final stone toward the bull’s-eye. He had the hammer, to use curling lingo.

And he totally missed the nail. (This is not curling lingo).

He failed to score with the stone, by less than an inch, and Russia came away with the victory. The crowd erupted, with fans waving flags and singing, and while this scene figures to be a bit less wild than, say, what would occur if Russia beat Team USA in hockey, it was a moment for the host country.

It was also a moment that makes you wonder: When will our long national curling nightmare end?

Look: I understand the sport is not easy. I tried it once and forgot to let go of the stone, sliding halfway down the ice. This sport can make you look ridiculous — and that’s when you’re doing it correctly.

But it should appeal to everything that we like about the winter sports experience. To wit:

1. It takes place indoors, because what American really wants to be outside during the winter?

2. It involves teaming up with friends, and then when things go horribly wrong, blaming them. The American Way!

3. It attracts some drop-dead gorgeous participants. Google the name Anna Sidorova from the Russian women’s team. You’ll be practicing with your broom in the kitchen.

4. It isn’t particularly taxing on the body. One P.R. firm sent an email with tips on how to avoid getting hurt while curling. It actually included this: "One way an athlete can prevent curling injuries is to always stay firmly planted on the ice, helping to avoid a slip or fall."

5. It has beer. Lots of beer. Some curling clubs actually store their kegs on the playing surface.

Still, U.S. curling clubs are hard to find. There is a fine one in South Plainfield, and they are holding two open houses next weekend in hopes the Olympics will generate more interest in their sport.

But the interest will likely pass. It isn’t like curlers go on to great fame and fortune when they reach the top of their sport. Shuster, for example, is a restaurant manager in Duluth, Minn. He took such a beating on social media after Team USA finished 10th in Vancouver that he nearly gave up the sport.

“I mean, was curling really worth it?” he told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “Was it really worth what the whole family went though and sacrificed and be shelled in social media and media too and to have that devastation.”

Nobody wants to pile on the guy, but c’mon. Maybe this loss will spur Team USA to revamp its curling system. Maybe this will spur a curling caucus to study our failings and present a solution before 2018. The Canadian curlers actually lift weights, so there’s one idea.

Whatever it is, in the pursuit of excellent curling, Team USA should leave no stone unturned. Biathlon? Too much effort. Ski jumping? Too dangerous. But curling should be the perfect American sport.